And as we hit the stretch, one eye starts wandering toward that empty bracket you’re about to see in the StarNews, or StarNewsOnline.com, or wherever you put your guessing skills on the line for everyone. Who’s going to be in, who’s going to be out?

As usual, you’ll see a bunch of bracket predictions in the next 10 days. ESPN, CBS, Sports Illustrated, Jerry Palm, Ken Pomeroy … I could go on for a long time (and the Bracket Matrix does!). They all use formulas and numbers and breakdowns of this, that and the other thing to get to a field of 68. Most of it makes sense, some of it does not.

The Pac-12, for example.

All those guys that do the bracket projections, and bubble watches and everything else are impressive. There are days I wish all I had to do was dig into numbers and talk about the hoop on Twitter. Instead, I choose to go ultimately by the “eye test” — watching the game on my DVR, who do I really think belongs in the tournament? I don’t care (as much) about their record, or their RPI or all the mumbo jumbo. Who’s got players? Who’s got coaching? Who has the ability to bust my bracket come March 15?

For those of us who just watch the games and burn up their DVR from November to March, bracket contests are a measuring stick. How well did I watch the games? Do I really know who’s going to upset who? If your bracket is littered with red Xs by the end of the first Sunday, you feel like an idiot. If you are lingering atop the leaders in your bracket group, you feel like you can boast (but only a little). We’ve all been on both sides of the equation.

America East (1) – autobid. Total = 1

Atlantic 10 (2) – Temple, St. Louis. Total = 3

ACC (5) – UNC, Duke, Florida State, Virginia, NC State … I know a lot of people hate the Wolfpack profile, but they’re versatile, they’re fast, they’re unpredictable. What everyone wants to see in the tournament. Total = 8

Atlantic Sun (1) –Hopefully Belmont. Total = 9

Yes, Kevin Jones and WVU should be in the tournament

Big East (8) – Syracuse, Marquette, Georgetown, Notre Dame, South Florida, Louisville, Cincinnati, West Virginia. The Mountaineers, like the Wolfpack, don’t have an awesome record. But man are they tough. And have a go-to guy in Kevin Jones. And a good point guard. Total = 17

Big 12 (5) – Kansas, Mizzou, Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas State. The best top-3 of any league in the country. The lower four teams in this league are awful, though. Total = 22

Conference USA (2) – Memphis, Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles are a nice story. Good to see a team (and its coach) come back from oblivion. Total = 33

Colonial (2) – VCU, Drexel. I’m not just saying this because I’m in the CAA footprint. They’re just darn good teams. Total = 35

Horizon, Ivy, Mid-American, Metro Atlantic, MEAC (5) – In alphabetical order, this is the group you skip over. In the tournament, you don’t skip over Iona, or Akron, or Harvard from this group. Total = 40

Missouri Valley (2) – Wichita State, Creighton. Total = 42

Mountain West (4) – New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV, Colorado State. I’ll argue this is the fifth-best league in the country, ahead of the SEC and Pac-12. Total = 46

Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot (3) – If all the top seeds win these tournaments, some very gaudy records will be in the dance. That’s good. Total = 48

Pac-12 (1) – Washington. Bleh. Total = 50

SEC (5) – Kentucky, Vandy, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee. The Vols added freshman Jarnell Stokes in January after he graduated early from high school. The Vols have been very fun to watch, and significantly more talented, with his arrival. This is a tournament team, without a doubt. Total = 55

Southern, Southland, SWAC, Summit, Sun Belt (5) – Davidson & Middle Tennessee are very good teams but don’t have all the magic numbers to convince people they should be in regardless of winning their conference tournament. Shame. Total = 60

So that leaves the new First Four. Which I think is cool. I have nine teams in this group, teams that have shown they can win big games, and then play so poorly or so dumb over a longer stretch that makes you think “Who gave them a lobotomy when no one was looking?”– Miami, Texas, Northwestern, Illinois, Xavier, Seton Hall, Mississippi State, Arizona, California.

We’re taking Northwestern (for the whole no NCAA tournament thing), Seton Hall, Arizona and Miami on Tuesday and Wednesday in Dayton. Good ’nuff.

Do you have the history of the records of all “Seedings vs. seedings” results for all Men’s NCAA tournament games going back as far as possible?

I do have the results of the last 25 years, but I would like to see all the seeding results.

I’m not interested in the recent years “break in” games where there were an extra 4 teams trying to get in — I’m only interested in the field of 64 teams — and before that there was only 32 games — etc.

About This Blog

Howdy. I’m sports editor Dan Spears, and I keep everything straightened up around here — with thoughts on pretty much anything to do with sports, both locally and nationally. I’ve been with the StarNews since August 2006, and sports editor since September 2008. I’m a big college basketball fan and have been to the first weekend of the NCAAs every year since 1997, either as a fan or a writer. I attempt to play golf, run marathons and play volleyball here in town at Capt’n Bill’s on Market Street. Enjoy reading, and let me know what you’re thinking … Dan